Abstract: The two ends of the luffable and swivelable arms of the gantry of an overburden excavator each have a horizontal bolt for a frame of the drive, on the axis of rotation or drive shaft of which is mounted a rotary cutter in the form of a cutter drum. The rotary cutters are disposed on both sides of a receiving conveyor. The axes of rotation of the shafts rotating the rotary cutters are oriented approximately parallel to the plane of symmetry (longitudinal axis) of the receiving conveyor belt. The angle of the rotary cutter axis can be adjusted in relation to the plane of the roadway by the length adjuster in the form of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, which is located between a bearing lug of the arm and a bearing lug of the frame. The rotary cutters transport the material via transverse conveyors to the converyor belt.

Abstract: In the removal of the overburden prior to surface mining of minerals in an elongated pit, one or more first excavating machines remove the overburden along one elongated part of the pit and direct the removed material via a cross-pit transporter across the pit where it is deposited outwardly from and along the opposite side, called the dump side. At least one other excavating machine travels along the remaining elongated part of the pit at a level not higher than the level of the cross-pit transporter and removes the overburden to the same dump side of the pit. The excavating machines moving along the elongated part of the pit operate independently of one another. When the cross-pit transporter and the second excavating machine operating in the remaining elongated part of the pit on the same level, meet while moving in opposite directions, the second excavating machine moves across the pit out of the path of the cross-pit transporter and the transporter is moved past the second excavating machine.

Abstract: Cross-pit conveyor for strip-mining operations and cooperating with one or more excavating machines includes a pair of struts and a base strut, all arranged and interconnected in a configuration constituting a horizontally oriented isosceles triangle, the struts of the pair constituting the legs and defining the principal corner of the triangle as well as a line of symmetry of the triangle; undercarriages are disposed in the corners of the triangle for movably but separately supporting the struts; a first pair of upwardly converging towers is pivotably linked to the base and the corners and a second pair of upwardly converging towers extends from the base corners in an inclined fashion: a vertical support tower extends generally upwardly from the principal corner and has its upper end connected to the ends of the second pair of converging towers; tensioning cables interconnect the towers at their respective upper ends; a boom is tensioned by cable and pivotably linked to the base strut and extends in a direct

Abstract: Transport apparatus is provided for heavy duty equipment which allows for the interchangeable connection of the caterpillar power drive units used for transport of a plurality of supporting frames holding different pieces of heavy equipment. A lesser number of expensive drive units is required for moving a lot of equipment. This is achieved by providing separate support bases or feet for each of the supporting frames. Each of the bases include a mechanism for lifting the supporting frames so that the power drive units can move under the supporting frame being transported. Also, each of the caterpillar power drive units include a connector device for connection to the supporting frame to be supported. Each connector device, in turn, includes hydraulically operated arms for relative vertical displacement between the drive unit and the support frame and universal relative horizontal displacement.